Staff spread Christmas cheer

USQ Springfield, the Faculty of Business (FoB) and USQ Toowoomba's three Residential Colleges have all been infected with the Christmas spirit, donating hampers to charity and bringing Christmas cheer to disadvantaged families.

Staff at USQ Springfield teamed up with the Springfield Lakes Community Centre to provide a Christmas hamper for a deserving local family.

USQ Springfield Administration Officer, Elissa Churchward, and Tala Schultz from the Community Centre organised the donation of non-perishable food items for a family through the Adopt a Family program.

Elissa said she arranged the hamper to make it a little easier for someone in the local community this Christmas.

'Members of staff have donated a number of items from foodstuffs to laundry liquid to ease the financial cost for one special family at this expensive time of year.'

Tala said they were very deserving.

'Elissa asked me to select a family that would benefit from the hamper. We have a lot of families and individuals who come in to make enquiries about a variety of needs and so I picked a family I thought would really benefit,' she said.

'It's a sole parent family with a son in primary school, a second son in high school and a daughter who is 20 years old.

'The mother of this family helps out in the community through a number of ways. She is very giving and this is a nice way to give something back,' she said.

The family the FoB adopted, through The Chronicle's Adopt a Family Appeal, was another sole parent family with four little boys who are seven, three, two and one.

FoB Manager of International Activities, Bronwyn Bartsch, coordinated the appeal and said they brought each family member a present and then included some gift certificates and Christmas goodies.

'The Faculty raised more than $380 plus donations of food and toys to include in our hamper. We have had a really positive response from our staff, and seeing the goods all ready to go is really exciting – it brings out the Christmas spirit,' she said.

'We all wish we could see the look in the children's eyes when they receive their parcels, but the knowledge they will have a cheerier Christmas day than perhaps they would have otherwise is really satisfying.'

This is the sixth year the Faculty has gotten behind the Appeal.

It is also the sixth year USQ Toowoomba's three Residential Colleges have brought disadvantaged families some much needed Christmas cheer, with this year's donation going to Lifeline.

Director of the Residential Colleges, Brian Hansson, said two gift baskets full to the brim with food were donated to Lifeline, who will distribute the goods to families in the lead up to Christmas.

'Before the students went back home for the final semester break we asked them to donate an item of food, which they did so now we are able to give Lifeline these gift baskets,' Brian said.

'All three of the Colleges donate and we are able to hand over a significant amount each year, which is something that we will continue to do in the future.

'This is the Colleges' way of doing something that is part of the community.'

Merry Christmas!

Media Contact: Fiona Taylor, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2559, 0423 808 462